


Just Say It

by Universally_Just_Me



Series: Merlin's One Shots [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Magic Revealed, Merthur - Freeform, Oblivious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-20 19:08:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30009597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Universally_Just_Me/pseuds/Universally_Just_Me
Summary: In 2x04 when Gwen is kidnapped and has to play as Morgana to survive, Arthur and Merlin go on a rescue mission. Merlin is very keen on getting Arthur to admit his feelings for the girl, however, it isn't Gwen that has the prince's heart.Basically, a rewrite of 2x04 as if it was Merlin that Arthur had feelings for and not Gwen.
Relationships: Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen/Lancelot (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Merlin's One Shots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2207514
Comments: 3
Kudos: 114





	Just Say It

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, another one-shot.  
> Please let me know if you have any prompts or ideas for any fanfic in this universe  
> Hope you enjoy it!

"The Gaja berries worked!" says Arthur while washing his face on the river.  
"You didn't know if they worked?" Merlin stops cleaning his face to look madly at Arthur.  
"Not for sure." Arthur gets up nonchalantly.  
"Now you tell me?" Merlin says and Arthur looks at him without replying "Oh, what's that Wilddeoren eating? It's all right. It's just Merlin" Arthur laughs at this "Are you trying to get us both killed?"  
"I'm sorry," begins Arthur and Merlin is mad enough he doesn't even recognise the uncharacteristic apology from the prince "I shouldn't have risked your life like that"  
Merlin sighs. Even if he wanted to stay mad at Arthur he couldn't. Not only because he was ... well, Arthur. But also because he knew he was doing this for a good cause, they had to save Gwen. Merlin knew he was also doing it because of his feeling for the girl, but he knew not to think too much about that. The moment he realised Arthur had feeling for Gwen he focused on work, trying his best to ignore the pull in his heart every time he thought of his prince with someone else. But the prince wasn't really his, was he?  
"They do say love makes you do strange things." Says Merlin, he should listen to his head and not ask about it, but he needed to know, to have an answer. But needing an answer didn't make him brave enough to face the blonde man beside him, making Merlin miss the look of surprise and fear of being caught on Arthur's face.  
"What are you talking about?" Arthur asks a bit too quickly, Merlin shrugs it as being nervous someone found his secret out. He isn't wrong.  
"Why can't you just admit your feelings ..." The warlock says, finally looking at the prince "for Gwen?"  
Arthur stops for a second and holds back a smile. That's what Merlin thinks? It's a laughable thought really. Arthur did care about Gwen, he thinks his father was unfair to stop him from going after her. But Arthur didn't have those feelings for Gwen, but he couldn't exactly tell Merlin that. Because it would lead to more questions and those he knew the answer to but was too scared to say them. But of course, Merlin would ask anyway.  
"It's so obvious. A blind man could see it" Merlin keeps his tone playful, but his heart is beating at his chest like crazy while Arthur scoffs and walks a few steps away. "Is it really that hard to admit you like her?" Merlin watches as Arthur puts his sword back on his waist "Just say it!"  
"I can't!" Arthur says trying to make his tone final and mad, but as soon as he turns to Merlin his face softens.  
Merlin leans back a bit. He was sure Arthur at the very least trusted him enough to tell him when he had feelings for someone. The way he was always nice to Gwen, always around. The way she was the only woman he ever really hung around beside Morgana, though she doesn't count. The way he never liked when his father tried to set him up, he barely even looked at other women. It was obvious Arthur had feelings for Gwen. And as hurt, as he was that those feelings were for her, he was even more hurt that Arthur wouldn't even tell him.  
"I'm sorry I asked!" says Merlin as he finishes cleaning up and returns to his horse.  
Hours later, after they finally rescued both Gwen and Lancelot, they all sit on the Forrest around a fire. Camelot wasn't too far away, but they were all tired physically and emotionally, and they didn't want to ride after nightfall. Arthur kept his eyes on the forest floor, not trusting him to keep on looking over to Merlin to make sure he wasn't hurt. Arthur knew the climbing was something he, as a knight, could do easily, but Merlin didn't have the same physical preparation and it sometimes led to Arthur making him exhausted without even realising. Merlin was always more delicate than his knights and he needed to remember that.  
"I'm surprised that you would undertake such a rescue mission" began Lancelot "with just the two of you?"  
"My father would not risk the lives of his knights for a servant. " Arthur says truthfully, however thinking of a different servant.  
"And yet you disobeyed him and came here anyway?" Lancelot continues. He wasn't sure of Arthur's motivations and stared at the blond curious.  
Arthur stops to think of an answer. The truth wasn't an option, and he didn't want to hurt anybody. As a few seconds pass he knew he had to say something, so he says the first thing that came to his mind. Which was possibly one of the worst excuses he made in his life.  
"The truth is, I only came because Morgana begged me," Arthurs says and already regrets it. Morgana did ask him, but that's not the reason he came. The reason was a dark-haired servant situated not too far away from him.  
Merlin look surprised, he knew Arthur wasn't about to admit how he felt, but he didn't think he would lie like this. They would all understand if he said that he cared about her as a friend, or that all lives mattered even servants, or that he wasn't about to let someone innocent be treated like that. But not this. Gwen looked even more shocked, but only because she didn't think Morgana cared enough to not only ask the king for a rescue but to then go to Arthur and convince him to come. That was quite something and she made a note to thank Morgana later. Gwen excused herself to rest, soon after Arthur did the same. Leaving Lancelot and Merlin to chat.  
"Is it true that Arthur came to rescue Gwen because Morgana begged him?" Lancelot says and Merlin only lowers his head answering without words "He has feelings for her, doesn't he?"  
Merlin only stares at Lancelot. He can't really officially confirm Arthur's feelings, but he doesn't want to deny them either. Merlin is ironically happy he isn't alone on this misery boat of liking someone you cannot have. Lancelot has always been a true friend. He knew of his magic and kept his secret and never acted differently with Merlin. He trusted the warlock as much as the warlock trusted him. Unlike Arthur, he knew Lancelot would give him an answer.  
"What about you? Do you have feelings for Gwen?" Merlin asks already knowing the answer.  
"My feelings do not matter. I will not come between them." Lancelot says knowing it was the right thing to do.  
This makes Merlin stop for a second. After all this time liking Arthur, even if he knew there was no chance of them being together he still had some hope. It was unfounded and unreasonable, but he could not help himself but hope. However, at this moment he knew that hope was not going to change anything. Just like Lancelot, and like himself numerous times before this, he had to do the right thing. He had to erase any and all feelings he may have.  
"Neither will I," says Merlin quietly looking back at Arthur.  
Lancelot understands. He knew now both of Merlin's secrets and understood. For Lancelot, he was still the same Merlin. A playful, good friend, surprisingly smart, loyal. But if Arthur knew? Merlin deserved Arthur to know and to support him, but he knew the chances were low. They both had proof Arthur could only speak up to his father so much. He may have come to this mission despite the king's orders, but that was about it. Arthur didn't speak up to let Lancelot be a knight, and he didn't speak up to stop killing sorcerers, he didn't speak up when his father mistreated the servants. Merlin had no guarantee and even if he did, he also wouldn't risk Gwen and Arthur's relationship. They looked at each other with a bitter-sweet feeling of not being alone, but also not being with who they wanted to be. Lancelot left shortly after and Merlin went to sleep.  
When Arthur woke up and saw Merlin and Gwen talking he felt in his heart he had done the right thing. They rode back to Camelot in silence, Arthur was sad Lancelot couldn't be part of their group home. But mostly he was conflicted about his feelings. He would never dare say them out loud, but a little part of him wanted to. To speak up and just leave everything behind, as long as he had who he wanted with him. To just say it.  
Later that night Merlin went up to Arthur's room to put away some of the things they had taken with them. As he entered the room Arthur made a gestured for him to close the door. The prince was already in his nightclothes but sat at his desk surrounded by parchments and ink looking a bit frustrated. Merlin focused on doing the task at hand, hearing the prince huff mad occasionally. After the fourth sound of discontent, he had to ask.  
"Is everything alright?" Merlin says organizing the prince's wardrobe while speaking. His voice was quiet, still, a bit put off by the lack of trust and truth from Arthur.  
"My father had me making reports and invites and I hate this paperwork," Arthur says stopping and rubbing his eyes. He finally looked at Merlin and realised he was quiet and to himself, which was very different from the usual bubbly attitude. "Are you alright?"  
"Yes," Merlin says simply not facing the prince. Arthur gets up from his desk and gets closer to him, but Merlin still won't face him.  
"I can see you are not okay. You have folded the same shirt three times now" Arthur says removing one of the shirts from his hand and placing it on top of the others before closing the wardrobe door and using the empty space to put himself in front of Merlin, who is still looking at the floor. "Come on, you can be truthful with me"  
"Yeah, right." Merlin scoffs and crosses his arms, he was nobody to be mad at the heir prince, but he couldn't help it. Not when it was about Arthur "That's rich coming from you."  
“What’s that supposed to mean?” says Arthur. He may not have told Merlin the entire truth, but he didn’t really lie.  
“You can’t even be truthful to me about how you feel,” Merlin says, finally letting his eyes meet the prince’s, but not letting himself drown in them like usual. “Why can’t you just admit it?”  
“How can I admit that I think about a servant all the time!” Arthur says without meaning, but now that he has begun he won’t stop. How could he when he saw the bright blue eyes of Merlin now were furious and demanding an answer? An answer he deserved. Arthur was tired of staying quiet. “Or that I care about this servant more than anyone? How can I admit that I don’t know what I will do if any harm comes to them?”  
“Why can’t you?” Merlin says in a lower tone than Arthur. He understands why he should be secretive about it, but he should trust Merlin with this.  
“Because nothing can ever happen between us,” Arthur says, looking away. “To admit my feelings, knowing that, it hurts too much!”  
“Who’s to say nothing can happen?” Merlin says frustrated that the prince sees this as an impossible situation when it isn’t.  
“My father won’t let me rescue a servant. Do you think he would let me marry one?” Arthur says madly, hating that he has to explain this. Especially to him.  
“You want to marry Gwen?” says Merlin. He is shocked at how deep Arthur’s feelings for her are. He didn’t know he liked her this much and it is glad to see Arthur care so much about someone, but it’s hard that it isn’t him.  
“No!” Arthur exclaims “No. I don’t.” Arthur stops to take a deep breath before continuing “It’s all talk. And that’s all it ever can be.”  
“When you’re king, you can change that,” Merlin says obviously but firmly.  
“I can’t expect someone to wait for me,” Arthur says defeated.  
“If she feels as you do, she’ll wait for you,” The warlock says almost smiling that Arthur is trusting him and being honest at last.  
Arthur looks at Merlin. His servant had always been an idiot and oblivious, but was he that daft that he couldn’t see who his feelings are truly for? Arthur looks away from the raven-haired boy and seeing his eyes he loses every ounce of control he still had. Because despite the supportive words and cheerful tone, Merlin’s eyes still carried that thing. The light that only lit when he looked at Arthur, the light that went a bit out when he talked about Gwen.  
Arthur knew what he was about to d would change everything. Between them, between him and his father, between him and his people. It was all those things that have kept him from doing something like this earlier. However, he has never felt as complete and as intensely as he was with Merlin. It is something too magical to be cast aside for fear. Arthur no longer feared the words, he would just say them.  
“This isn’t about Gwen” begins Arthur and Merlin's faces fall in confusion.  
“Are you afraid you’ll lose feelings before you become king?” Merlin states thinking he understands “I guess it could happen, but doesn’t sound like something to worry about now. You could date secretly while you aren’t king and …”  
“Merlin!” Arthur exclaims stopping the warlock at once “I’m not talking about Gwen. All I said isn’t about Gwen at all.”  
“What?” Merlin says quietly, the barrier he had built around his feelings since his talk with Lancelot quickly crumbles and some hope shines through. It’s stupid, even if it isn’t about Gwen it surely isn’t about him. Arthur found it adorable how Merlin looked so defenseless now. “Then why did you go out of your way to save her?”  
“Because Morgana did beg me to go and even if I don’t have those feelings I still care about her. Because more and more I see my father isn’t right about everything. Honestly, he isn’t right about so much. How he treats the servants, the knights, the people, the druids. How he views love. I rescue Gwen because it was the right thing to do and I know you care about her deeply and would never forgive me if I didn’t rescue her” Arthur says looking around to finally look back at Merlin.  
Merlin is simply staring at Arthur, mind turned to puddle. He would like to say this moment he realised exactly what was going on and grabbed Arthur's hand and told him how he felt. What actually happened was that Merlin dropped the shirt he was holding and looked, bend down to get it, got up, looked once at Arthur, and dropped it again.  
Arthur smiled and got the shirt, putting it aside and pushed Merlin all the way to his dining table, sat him on a chair and, on the same side of the table, sat in front of him, waiting for a reply.  
“So … what does this mean exactly?” Merlin says not very articulately.  
“It means I don’t like Gwen,” Arthur says patiently.  
“I got that part.” says Merlin feeling oddly cozy on their sitting arrangement “What else?”  
“I’m not sure what you mean,” Arthur says, he may be a bit mean to want Merlin to say it, especially when he clearly is not on his right mind, but the possessive part of him really wants it.  
“If not Gwen” Merlin begins “Who? There aren’t that many females servants you interact with. The cook? Definitely not she is too old and ... definitely not her. Maybe one of the maids? But the only one you interact with is Gwen really. So, Who?”  
Arthur smiles, leans in, and plants a peck on Merlin's lips. If Merlin was already not thinking straight before the kiss after he didn’t even know his name. Merlin was so out of it he didn’t even realize his eyes were flashing gold. Arthur however didn’t miss how his beloved blue eyes turned to solid gold.  
Of all the reactions Arthur could have: anger, disappointment, betrayal, what Arthur was truly feeling was admiration. This incredible boy that did everything for him, that had protected his heart and life numerous times was also a sorcerer? Did he risk his life practicing magic on the heart of Camelot, on his heart for him? It had to be. He knew he wasn’t evil simply because it was him, and  
Merlin is just so himself that is impossible magic makes you a bad person because looking at Merlin right now it was perfect. If liking Merlin made him a bad person, a sinner, a wrongdoer, he did not care. What’s heaven anyway compared to having this incredible person with him.  
“Wait,” Merlin says suddenly startling Arthur “If everything you said in the forest and all is about me, does that mean you don’t think we can’t be together?” Merlin asks still not really realizing what’s going on but slowly getting more level-headed. Arthur's smile faded a little bit, but as soon as he got a glimpse of gold eyes again he had an idea.  
“You hid you were a sorcerer for years, I think we can hide a relationship,” Arthur says nonchalantly.  
“Sorcerer? I’m not a sorcerer. What gave you that idea?” Merlin, even confused, knew to hide and protect his identity, even from the wonderful boy that just kissed him.  
Oh God Arthur kissed him. He really kissed him. And said he wants a relationship, Merlin held back a smile at the thought. After nights of wondering in secret, trying to hide how he felt. Do you know how many times he had changed Arthur or helped him bathe and had to use magic to not make obvious how he felt? Too many times. Wait, didn’t Arthur mention marriage in the forest?  
“Maybe those golden eyes of yours,” says Arthur, and Merlin looks up surprised, making even more visible their color. “I prefer the blue, but can’t say golden doesn’t suit you. That’s how I know you are a sorcerer.”  
“I’m not a sorcerer,” Merlin says again.  
“Come on, I already saw your eyes and I don’t care” Arthur begins.  
“I meant more like warlock and not sorcerer, but you really don’t care?” Merlin asks, mumbling the first part. The warlock reaches over and holds his hand, leaning closer and looking brightly at Arthur.  
“No, I know you and it doesn’t change anything. That’s a lie. It changes things, but nothing bad. And right now all I really mind is how close you are” Arthur says quickly looking at Merlin.  
Merlin smiles and kisses Arthur, a full kiss this time. They begin kissing while still sited and slowly Merlin gets closer and closer, he finally gets off the chair and Arthur is quick to pull him to his lap.  
Now, Merlin knows exactly what he is thinking and what he wants. He knows this isn’t perfect. They’ll have to hide their relationship while Uther is alive, and afterward, they will have to face many battles to get magic and their relationship accepted. But right now kissing Arthur he fears nothing, but the fact he may never get enough of his prince. Finally his.  
They continue kissing on the chair for a while, before Arthur gets up, hands-on Merlin’s thighs supporting him. The blonde walks over to his bed putting Merlin there and looks over. By now Merlin got his eyes under control and Arthur smiles at the blue ocean.  
“We should lock the door,” Arthur says catching his breath. Merlin smiles and flashes his eyes gold, locking the door.  
“There,” Merlin says and pulls him for a kiss.  
“I could get used to this” Arthur says and looks once again at Merlin before kissing him again.  
They enjoy their newfound relationship thoroughly that night and for the first of many nights slept on Arthur's arms and bed. Especially after he learned the spell that lets him know if anyone is coming and wakes him up. Despite a few close calls, they always made it and the thrill of being caught made it even better.  
In one of the mornings, they got to stay in his bed a little late without interruption Arthur is thinking. He was always seen by his knights and his people as brave, but he wasn’t. There isn’t much bravery in fighting again and again. What is brave is speaking up. And Arthur doesn’t always do that.  
Arthur didn’t speak up to his father about so many things. He didn’t speak up for Morgana every time she needed it. He didn’t speak up to his people and knights about his beliefs. He definitely didn’t speak up about his feelings about Merlin until recently and even then he never really said it. He was done. His father was already barely functioning and he had been acting as king for a couple of weeks now. It was time for him to change. To stop the magic ban, to let non-nobles be knights, to not put money and comfort over his people, to be with the one he loved.  
Love?  
“Morning,” Says Merlin, and Arthur melts at the raspy voice, his messy raven hair makes him even more attractive.  
“I love you,” says Arthur simply and he watches as Merlin’s eyes flashed gold. It often happens when it came to Arthur and he loved this reaction.  
“I was hoping for a good morning, but I’ll take it,” Merlin says “I love you too”  
Arthur still had a lot to say, and he felt brave because he said the most important one first.


End file.
